Facebook has recently launched the Amber Alert System in Australia to help citizens solve and decrease child abduction cases. Australia is the 13th country to nationally launch the child abduction alert system called The AMBER Alert (America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response). This system is distributed in different online and offline channels such as internet, radio systems, commercial billboards and mobile devices.

AMBER Alert Partnered with the Largest Online Channels

AMBER Alert partnered with the largest online channels such as Google, Bing and now Facebook, to help disseminate and retain information about any child abduction crimes – the name of the abductee, description of the suspect and other descriptions that will help track and solve the case such as vehicle information.

A Short History 

The AMBER Alert System was inspired after the abduction of Amber Hagerman, a 9-year-old girl kidnapped and brutally murdered in Texas, 1996. There were no tracks of the suspect, though the crime was witnessed by a neighbor.

Parents, police organizations and community members since then declared to strongly implement the child abduction alert system and it later developed into the AMBER Alert system that investigates each abduction case.

Why is AMBER Alert developed?

This allows them to send critical and timely information about the possible crime, victim’s information, suspect and their whereabouts, that could give authorities clues that could lead them to the child. Police are instructed to broadcast the information in all media channels intermittently.

Facebook Stepping In to Help

Since Facebook is a tech giant and the most used social media channel where users are most active daily, Facebook and Amber Alert worked together making it absolutely easier to connect with friends and loved ones to ask for help in case of child abduction.

How to Use AMBER Alert

When a child is suspected to be abducted, an alert will be sent to Facebook users in a 160 kilometre radius of where the child is possibly taken. Search zones will also alter “credible sighting” of the child elsewhere. Like any regular posts in the user’s news feed, amber alert will include a photograph of the child and any related information. However, users won’t be able to comment on the post, but this can be shared.

To make sure you receive this notification, make sure to turn on your location or list your current city. However, for privacy and security reasons, Facebook only allow users to decide how much information they want to share to the public.

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